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Li had won their previous clash in the semifinals of the Australian Open, but she was broken twice in each set as she slipped to defeat.

It has proved an excellent work out for Sharapova as she builds up to the French Open defense, with hard fought wins over Lucie Safarova, Ana Ivanovic and Angelique Kerber on the way to the title match.

Last year she beat 2013 Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in the Stuttgart final before claiming her Roland Garros triumph.

"It definitely helped last year on the way to the French Open, it's good to bring back the same confidence on clay as last year," Sharapova added.

As an added award for claiming her 29th WTA career title, Sharapova once again can drive away a luxury Porsche 911 Carrera, a bonus from the tournament sponsors.